What if creativity and beauty aren’t just for artists. What if they’re callings for every one of us? I’m excited to share some thoughts with you today, thanks to George’s invitation to speak at Garden City Church about these Christian virtues. As an artist and educator with over a decade teaching at Pierce College (and stints in Illinois and Colorado), I’ve spent my life exploring creativity. My wife teaches art at Enumclaw High, and our daughters carry the torch through musical theater and daily sketches. Today, I want to flip your perspective on creativity and beauty with three key ideas: their biblical roots, the shift from looking to seeing, and why we’re all called to create.
Creativity isn’t optional—it’s woven into our DNA. Genesis 1:1 declares, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” As beings made in His image, we’re designed to create too. Scripture overflows with examples: Exodus 35:35 celebrates artisans skilled in engraving and embroidery, while Isaiah 64:8 casts God as a potter shaping us, His clay. In 1 Kings 7, Solomon hires Hiram, a bronze craftsman “filled with wisdom,” to build the temple. God doesn’t just endorse creativity—He delights in it. So why shouldn’t we?
Looking vs. Seeing
Here’s an experiment: picture a chair. Go ahead, imagine it. Did we all see the same one? Doubtful. That’s the difference between looking and seeing. Looking is passive—like spotting a car speeding toward you and yelling, “Look out!” Seeing is active—studying that car’s color, shape, and driver. As an art professor, I teach students to draw what’s really there, not just their idea of it. Theologian D.P. Emma puts it beautifully: artists and prayerful people alike “see beneath the surface,” glimpsing God’s vitality in the world. Creativity demands we slow down and truly see.
Think creativity is just for painters? Robert Pirsig, in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, argues a mechanic fixing an engine with care is as creative as Picasso brushing a canvas. It’s not the task, it’s the heart behind it. We’re all drawn to beauty, uniquely pausing to savor a sunrise or symphony. And creativity breeds empathy. Film critic Roger Ebert called movies “empathy machines,” letting us walk in others’ shoes. Jesus’ incarnation God stepping into our skin—is the ultimate creative act, showing love through understanding.
How Do We Start?
So how do we live this out? Two words: education and practice. Learn by watching, reading, or doing—then put it into action. Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:14-15, “Do not neglect the gift you have… Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” Creativity glorifies God when we use it. Russ Ramsey, in Rembrandt Is in the Wind, says engaging beauty trains us to spot it everywhere. Even God rested on the seventh day—not from exhaustion, but to savor His work.
Artists echo this. Vincent van Gogh said, “There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” Pablo Picasso claimed art “washes away the dust of everyday life.” Monet’s water lilies remind us to “consider the lilies” (Matthew 6:28) and see deeper.
Your Turn
Creativity and beauty aren’t extras—they’re divine invitations to worship, love, and grow. So here’s your challenge this week:
Draw something. Sit, observe, and sketch—not a cartoon, but what you truly see.
Write a poem. Pause for five minutes, soak in the world, and describe its beauty.
Let’s move from looking to seeing—together. Share your creations with us at Garden City Church or tag us online. Let’s inspire each other to reflect God’s creative heart. Ready? Let’s create!